Bobby Hutcherson

This languid, seductive gem may well be Grant Green's greatest moment on record. Right from the opening bars of the classic title cut, Idle Moments is immediately ingratiating and accessible, featuring some of Green's most stylish straight jazz playing. Whether he's running warm (pianist Duke Pearson's "Idle Moments"), cool (the Modern Jazz Quartet's "Django"), or a bit more up-tempo (Pearson's "Nomad," his own "Jean de Fleur"), Green treats the material with the graceful elegance that was the hallmark of his best hard bop sessions, and that quality achieves its fullest expression here. He's helped by an ensemble that, as a sextet, is slightly larger and fuller-sounding than usual, and there's plenty of room for solo explorations on the four extended pieces…

Les McCann - Les McCann Ltd. In New York (1961) {Pacific Jazz CDP 7 92929 2 rel 1989}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 310 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 135 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 19 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1960-61, 1989 Pacific Jazz / Capitol Records | CDP 7 92929 2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Soul Jazz / Piano

A killer live set by Les McCann – and one that actually him playing with some horns! The record was cut early in McCann's career, with his Ltd trio that had Herbie Lewis on bass and Ron Jefferson on drums – plus some great guest work by Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Stanley Turrentine on tenor, and Frank Haines on tenor. We can't stress how much these players add a groove to Les' group – as we always enjoy his piano playing, but find most of his trio sets a bit sleepy. Instead, this one grooves like a rare Blue Note – and the tracks are long with plenty of great solo interplay.

Acclaimed drummer and composer Billy Drummond will release his new album Valse Sinistre on August 5 via Cellar Music Group. A major release for Drummond, this is his first album as a leader since his 1996 cult hit, Dubai (Criss Cross), which was named the top jazz album of the year by critic Peter Watrous in the New York Times, and was recently chosen as one of the “50 Crucial Drumming Recordings of the Past 100 Years” by Modern Drummer magazine. On Valse Sinistre, the drummer of creative faculty and warmth documents a vibrant iteration of Freedom of Ideas, a fluid ensemble he’s been leading for the past decade. The multigenerational project features Dayna Stephens on saxophones, Micah Thomas on piano and Dezron Douglas on bass. Valse Sinistre is produced by Jeremy Pelt, as part of his ongoing partnership with Cellar Music Group.